Start Without Me Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Knowledge of Gary Janetti's Memoir
Start Without Me Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Knowledge of Gary Janetti's Memoir 2022, Gary Janetti's Start Without Me is a collection of essays that trace his journey from a boy in Queens to a man who finds love and acceptance. This quiz covers the entire book, from his childhood schemes to his adult reflections. Whether you're a longtime fan or a new reader, these 20 questions will test your recall of key events, character motivations, themes, and the bigger picture of Janetti's life story. After the quiz, you'll find a complete answer key with brief explanations. Good luck!
Quiz
Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. In the chapter “The Carol Burnett Show,” what did the narrator hide his bus pass in to avoid going to day camp?
A. A jar of peanut butter
B. A box of cereal
C. A sock drawer
D. A library book
2. In “Teaching Little Fingers How to Play,” which Broadway musical did the narrator invite his classmate Jim to see?
A. Cats
B. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
C. A Chorus Line
D. South Pacific
3. In “J’s,” where did the narrator live in 1992?
A. A fifth-floor walk-up on Christopher Street
B. A sixth-floor walk-up on Christopher Street
C. A studio in the Meatpacking District
D. A brownstone in the West Village
4. In “The Wizard of Oz,” what visual transition shocked the narrator when he first saw the film on a new television set?
(Short answer)
5. In “Pen Pals,” where did the narrator fly to visit his pen pal Nancy and her husband Jack?
A. Florida
B. California
C. Texas
D. Arizona
6. In “Commencement Address,” what does the narrator call the past four years of college?
(Short answer)
7. In “Sister Wilma,” what false claim did the narrator make to get excuse slips to miss gym class?
A. He had a broken foot
B. His parents were divorcing
C. He had a doctor’s appointment
D. He was transferring schools
8. In “Christmas,” what item did the narrator find hidden behind the water heater?
A. A backgammon set
B. A Ping-Pong table
C. A leather jacket
D. A new bicycle
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. Why did the narrator stop speaking to Rose, the camp counselor, in “The Carol Burnett Show”?
A. She made him do activities he hated
B. She expressed concern about his lack of interaction with other children
C. She told his mother about his bus pass trick
D. She laughed at him in front of other campers
10. In “Teaching Little Fingers How to Play,” why did the narrator continue piano lessons even after he wanted to quit?
(Short answer)
11. In “J’s,” why did the narrator use expensive phone sex lines?
A. He was looking for a long-term relationship
B. He was curious but mostly hung up on callers
C. He wanted to meet people in person
D. He was writing an article about them
12. In “Pen Pals,” why did the narrator tell Nancy he was gay?
A. To explain why he didn’t want to date her
B. To get her to leave his bed
C. To make her feel better about her marriage
D. To shock her mother-in-law
13. In “Graduation,” why did the narrator encourage his parents to go on the Alaskan cruise instead of attending his high school graduation?
(Short answer)
Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. In “The Wizard of Oz,” what does the shift from black-and-white to color symbolize for the narrator?
A. The passage of time
B. A coming-out or drag reveal
C. The power of friendship
D. The magic of Hollywood
15. In “Christmas,” what does the narrator’s habit of searching for hidden gifts represent?
(Short answer)
16. In “Gay Restaurant,” what does the narrator’s performative reading of books in public symbolize?
A. His love of literature
B. His desire to appear intelligent
C. His self-presentation and longing for connection
D. His need to escape reality
17. In “A Chorus Line,” what does the chorus line symbolize to the narrator when he sees it at age forty?
(Short answer)
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. How does the narrator use television and movies as a form of escape throughout the book? Provide at least two examples from different chapters.
(Short answer)
19. Compare the narrator’s coming-out experiences in “Pen Pals” and “Grandma.” How does the theme of acceptance appear in each?
(Short answer)
20. In “Destination Wedding,” the narrator marries Brad at age fifty on a cruise. How does this contrast with his earlier beliefs about marriage, as described in the same chapter?
(Short answer)
Answer Key
Plot & Sequence
1. A. A jar of peanut butter
The narrator hid his bus pass in a jar of peanut butter to avoid going to camp, and his mother let him stay home.
2. B. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
He invited Jim to a matinee of this musical; Jim declined, and the narrator felt embarrassed.
3. B. A sixth-floor walk-up on Christopher Street
He lived in a sixth-floor walk-up on Christopher Street in the Village.
4. The film shifted from black-and-white to color when Dorothy entered Oz.
This transition was a dramatic reveal that captivated him.
5. B. California
He flew to California and stayed at a youth hostel in Venice, then bused to Long Beach.
6. A charade
He tells graduates that their education was a charade and that their choices and majors are irrelevant.
7. B. His parents were divorcing
He falsely claimed his parents were divorcing to get excuse slips from Sister Wilma.
8. B. A Ping-Pong table
He found a Ping-Pong table behind the water heater during one of his searches.
Character Motivation
9. B. She expressed concern about his lack of interaction with other children
He felt betrayed by her concern and stopped speaking to her.
10. His mother required him to choose another activity if he quit.
She insisted he continue with some activity, so he kept taking piano lessons.
11. B. He was curious but mostly hung up on callers
He used the lines to feel connected but rarely followed through, often hanging up.
12. B. To get her to leave his bed
When Nancy climbed into his bed, he told her he was gay so she would leave.
13. He didn’t want witnesses to his high school years.
He felt his high school experience was a “nothing” and preferred to graduate alone.
Theme & Symbol
14. B. A coming-out or drag reveal
The color transition is often read as a metaphor for revealing one’s true self, which resonates with the narrator’s queer identity.
15. It represents the tension between anticipation and disappointment.
The search for gifts mirrors his hope for transformation versus the letdown of actual presents.
16. C. His self-presentation and longing for connection
He used books as props to appear intellectual and attract attention, but the strategy didn’t lead to real connection.
17. At forty, he saw the dancers as struggling rather than successful.
The chorus line symbolized striving and desperation, not triumph.
Synthesis
18. Television and movies serve as a refuge from reality throughout the book.
For example, in “The Carol Burnett Show,” he watches TV in the basement to escape summer camp and the Son of Sam scare. In “Movies,” he becomes obsessed with films like Jaws and Star Wars, using them to feel belonging and excitement. These escapes offer him a world beyond his Queens life.
19. In “Pen Pals,” the narrator comes out to Nancy to deflect her advance, and she doesn’t react with acceptance—she later sends a letter he never opens.
In “Grandma,” his grandmother Lena defends Tommy, a gay man, from harassment, showing acceptance within the family’s history. Both moments highlight the narrator’s search for acceptance, but one is met with silence while the other is met with protection.
20. As a child, the narrator never believed marriage was possible for him, and he felt shame about his sexuality.
At fifty, he marries Brad on a cruise, embracing a public declaration of love he once thought impossible. This contrast shows his personal growth and acceptance of love.
For more insights, check out the book overview, questions and answers, or the ending explained.